The son of legendary British rocker and The Who drummer Kenney Jones has died, leaving the devastated music star with a ‘broken heart’.
Kenney, who is the only surviving member of 1960s hitmakers The Small Faces and replaced Keith Moon as The Who’s drummer in 1978, announced the news on Thursday.
The tragedy is the latest to hit Kenney, who has suffered the loss of bandmates, Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane and Ian McLagan from The Small Faces, and John Entwistle from The Who, who died in 2002, aged 57.
Posting about his son’s death on Facebook, the 76-year-old said: ‘It is with a broken heart that I share the devastating news that my son Jesse has passed.
‘I don’t have the words right now to fully express how I am feeling. But I want to thank you all for your kind wishes at this indescribably painful time and ask for continued love, respect and privacy as we try to navigate this profound loss as a family.’
It’s not known how Jesse, believed to be a DJ and father, died. However, tributes have poured out on social media in memory of the ‘beautiful soul’ and ‘colourful character’.
Jesse Jones (pictured), the son legendary British rocker and The Who drummer Kenney Jones, has died
Kenney and Jesse are pictured together in a photo shared by The Who drummer on Facebook
Pictured left to right – the members of The Small Faces, Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane, Kenney Jones and Ian McLagan in 1966
‘The world is a little less bright without Jess. He was a beautiful soul and loved by many. Condolences to all family and friends, RIP Jess,’ wrote Sally McNally on Facebook.
Bubs Read was left gobsmacked by the shock news, writing: ‘I’m utterly saddened by this Kenney. Jesse was one of life’s colourful characters, the world will be less without him.
‘My thoughts and love remain with you and the family through this dreadful time.’
Jesse was due to perform a DJ set in north London tomorrow evening.
Announcing his son’s death, Kenney posted a touching image of the pair of them wearing shirts and smiling.
Kenney fathered six children from his two marriages. He owns and runs Hurtwood Park polo club in Surrey where he hosts events at which his all star band THE JONES GANG play.
They sometimes include Kenney’s close friend Sir Rod Stewart with whom he was in The Faces.
Kenney’s other rock star pals include Ronnie Wood of The Rolling Stones, Mike Rutherford of Genesis, and Stewart Copeland of The Police.
He joined The Who following the death of the band’s former drummer, Keith Moon.
The Who, pictured in August 1979 with Roger Daltrey, Kenny Jones, John Entwhistle and Pete Townsend
Pictured at members of The Who. From left to right: Pete Townshend, Kenney Jones, Roger Daltrey, John Entwistle
Jones is seen during a gig with The Small Faces in Versailles, France, in 1974. He is seen with Ron Wood, Rod Stewart and Ian McLagan. Jones is the last surviving member of the group
Kenney Jones (pictured on the drums) is seen performing with Mick Hucknall in April 2012
In 1991, Jones suffered the loss of The Small Faces’ guitarist Steve Marriott.
The 44-year-old died in his sleep when a fire, caused by a cigarette, swept through his Essex home.
Then, six years later, tragedy struck the band again when its founder, Ronnie Lane, died, aged 51.
The rock legend had been valiantly battling against the degenerative disease multiple sclerosis, following a diagnosis in 1977.
In June 2002, Jones’s The Who bandmate John Entwistle died from a heart condition brought on by taking cocaine during a night of debauchery with a Las Vegas stripper.
The 57-year-old bass guitarist had binged on the drug a few hours before being found dead in a suite at the Hard Rock Hotel, an inquest heard.
The court heard Entwistle – nicknamed ‘The Ox – had spent the evening before he died in the bar of the hotel with fellow members of the band Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey.
Kenney Jones (centre) is pictured with his rock pals Ronnie Wood (left) and Sir Rod Stewart (right) at the BRIT Awards in 2020
The group, famed for living life to excess during their heyday in the 60s and 70s, were on the eve of a US tour, when tragedy struck.
Entwistle had retired to bed with a female companion at around 3am but when she woke at 10am, she found him ‘unresponsive and cold to the touch’.
A coroner ruled his death was caused by taking a moderate amount of cocaine which exacerbated an undiagnosed heart condition.
Kenney’s Small Faces co-star Ian McLagan died in December 2014, aged 69, at his home in Austin, Texas.
The keyboardist, who collaborated with the Rolling Stones and who co-wrote Faces’ songs including Cindy Incidentally, You’re So Rude, Bad’n’Ruin and Three Button Hand Me Down, suffered a fatal stroke.
Jimmy Winston, the original keyboard player in the Faces, died in September 2020, aged 75.
